9 November 2018

Alexander Tabunov of Tabunov Antiques been trading at Grays since 2015. He specializes in Russian art and antiques, Faberge pieces, icons, bronzes, enamel, silver and porcelain. We have come to his shop to find out more about him and his incredible collection of unique objects...

I started as a market trader in St. James’ selling Soviet memorabilia, but then I moved into antiques like porcelain figures, bronze statues, and silver enamel. I changed direction when the market slowed down in Russia and I received an order to buy a painting from Belarus.

My boss at work wanted a Social Realism painting depicting workers, especially miners. I had no idea how to go about it. But, casually walking down the street, when I was back in Minsk for holidays, I met a painter whose father was a member of the Artists’ Union of the USSR. He took me to his personal studio, and later to other artists’ studios, which I really enjoyed. I was surrounded by about five hundred paintings and chatted about art. I chose two paintings that I most liked to bring back to London.

I wanted to give one of the paintings as a gift but my boss insisted that he wanted to pay for it. After that, I kept getting commissions. I participated in Russian art exhibitions, in 2007 and 2008, in London. I was selling Soviet art, while at the same time I was getting commissions for antiques. So I started looking around, going to auctions, visiting places and learning about the antiques trade.

What made you come to London in the first place?

I came to London from Belarus to study business management. While I was still a student, I started supplying Soviet Russian souvenirs to English customers. Now, I sell Russian art and antiques to Russians and English, and other collectors from all over the world. Sometimes, pieces I had sold to collectors’ years ago, I am now buying back.

Russian antique objects are still a novelty in this country. But there are also very rare in Russia and the prices are high as they are becoming more and more desirable.

How do you feel in this environment given your business background?

I love it so much, it’s my favourite thing in life. I think about it all the time. Everyday my mind is around beautiful objects and how to source them for my clients.

You cover a very diverse area of interest in terms of materials, techniques and style. How do you know what to buy?

I buy what I like. And if I like something it is not difficult to sell it. Otherwise, it might sell accidentally. But if you don’t like something yourself, you don’t show it to customers. You keep it hidden in the corner. In the first place, you need to believe in what you sell. I’ve got a few mistakes to show you. When you buy and sell you learn very quickly. It is expensive to make mistakes. You learn from collections books, auction houses catalogues, and of course you learn from other dealers.

How would you describe your clientele?

They could be anyone. English people like decorative pieces and they love the enamel pieces. But my most expensive items go to Russian collectors and dealers. Usually, I have regulars who come back. Prices also matter. There’s waves of interest. Families from Russia have settled in England, France and the U.S. and they still have precious items to sell, or they might want to add to their collection.

Do people who inherit necessarily like the items or do tastes change among different generations?

Well, it depends on what you inherit. If you inherit a Faberge, it is difficult not to like it.! Because of the artistic quality, the splendid colours, such elaborate and intricate technique. They are exceptionally high quality pieces in every way.

24 October 2018

What better way to prepare for the seasonal festival of Halloween than to revisit Shakespeare's darkest tragedy: we take a look at the enduring imagery of Macbeth ...

19th Century Watercolour by George Cattermole 1800-1868. "Macbeth."

Halloween (also known as 'All Hallows Eve') is a yearly festival on the 31st of October, the eve of All
Hallows' Day.

The Gaelic Pagans held the yearly festival to be a time when the walls between our world and
the next became thin and porous, allowing spirits to pass through. These pagan traditions were particularly strong in Ireland and Scotland : which may have been one of the reasons William Shakespeare chose to set his darkest supernatural tragedy Macbeth (1604) in the Scottish Isles.

The sense of a 'curse' or evil energy attached to the prose and performance of Macbeth has led to the infamous tradition that bad luck will befall those who speak it's name aloud. Actors in the theatre are instead encouraged to refer to 'The Scottish Play'.

The wild and windswept Highland setting was also chosen by Shakespeare to appeal to the new King James I of England, also King of Scotland, who ascended to the throne in 1603, uniting the English, Irish and Scottish Crowns for the first time.

King James was a patron of the arts , but also curiously preoccupied with the supernatural (even for the seventeenth century!) The King had published his own treatise on witchcraft, Daemonologie (1597) in which he reveals a highly developed fear of black magic and the power of sorcery.

James' fears were symptomatic of an age in which bitter struggles between Catholics and Protestants across Europe created a climate of religious mania and political paranoia. One of Shakespeare's greatest strengths was his ability to tap into the psyche of his contemporary audience: yet Macbeth's famous witches, ghosts and wild hallucinations have maintained their intensity for over four centuries.

Many of the most recognisable and well-worn Halloween tropes come straight from Macbeth: an eye of newt, a bubbling cauldron...Of course Shakespeare drew on old traditions, but his 'Song of the Witches' hasamplified the image of The Witch in popular culture like no other single piece of art or literature.

Both the Gaelic pagans and Shakespeare's Jacobean audience would have believed that the period surrounding 'All Hallows' was the time when spirits were most likely to appear: and the power of the witch was at it's strongest. It is during this annual festival that we allow ourselves to be a little less skeptical and take a little more seriously the power of charms and spells- if only for fun !

With this in mind, we've found some ingredients from Grays for our very own witches cauldron to summon up the spirit of the season ...

18 October 2018

Marina Oriental Art is one of the finest and most well established Asian Art specialists in London...

The dealership is run by Marina Kokhan, a trained classical historian well versed in the visual cultures of (to name a few !) Japan, China, India and Ancient Greece

Working for many years as a museum curator in Moscow, Marina became particularity passionate about Japanese Art. Her specialism is the Meiji period; world renowned for it's beautiful intricacies, and of which she holds some of the rarest and finest pieces in existence.

Marina, please tell us what is so special about Japanese Meiji?

Japanese Meiji is highly collectable. And there’s good reason for it. First of all, it encompasses a very short historical period. It refers to objects made during the Meiji Period which lasted between 1868 and 1912. Everything was carefully hand made by incredibly skilled craftsmen. During that time there was no copying, and only a limited amount of objects were created. At the same time there’s huge variety in terms of materials used because it encompasses art work from every field; bronze sculpture, miniatures like netsuke and inro, metalwork, armour, lacquer, ceramics, silver, porcelain and enamel objects. Beyond technical virtuosity, of course, stylistically the art and design of the Meiji Period is hugely desirable because it's so elegant. And that’s why prices are quite high. But it’s a very specialised and a very niche market.

How did you find yourself here at Grays?

All of us who have an expertise in the field know each other; collectors, dealers, designers and historians. That’s why it is important to be based at Grays. It’s a place with tradition and reputation. Trust is very important in our work because we are trading with authentic objects. It is also marvellously well- located in Mayfair. There is a waiting list for dealers to be given a shop at Grays- I was on that waiting list once!How does Japanese Meiji Art relate to you?

I worked for many years at the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow. It’s a museum in an incredible building with an astonishing collection. I loved my role there and as it was life changing: it focused my energy and knowledge on the Meiji Period. I admire the creativity and quality of Meiji art. And it’s a great privilege to work with such fine pieces. That's where my expertise lies and it will continue to be my life's work. I started working in the private sector, as many of us did, during the Perestroika movement. In 1992 we opened the first Gallery of Oriental Art in the centre of Moscow, just down the road from the Kremlin. We were based within a section of the vast State Museum building and the Gallery still exists today. It was my personal life that brought me to London.

How do you find trading from Grays?

I am very happy here. People know me and I am well established. I have lots of new customers and I still keep in touch with designers and collectors I used to work with in Moscow. I get a lot of compliments about my stock which gives me confidence in my work. I have my regular customers and others who come to Grays to look for something special. Today I sold a particularly fine piece of silver and enamel Meiji art...

Interviewed Thursday 13 October 2018 by Titika MalkogeorgouAlthough it's hard to select only a few: here are some of our favourite pieces now available at Marina Oriental Art, Grays...

Meiji Period Silver Shibayama Carving and Encrustation Small Decorative Tray in the Shape of a Fan, late 19th century, Japan.

Throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty first, interior designers, architects, fashion designers and stylists have consistently referenced and re-invented Art Deco- a characteristic style which first took off in the early 1920's.

Perhaps one of the reasons so many fall in love with Deco is it's nature as a style with a story : it crystallises the great changes in politics, aesthetics and society which were brewing before the start of the First World War.

Fundamentally a style of the mid-war period: Art Deco borrows ideas and methods of production from the Modernist movement. Fauvism, Cubism, De Stijl, Futurism and Contructivism . It appropriates serious elements from all of these styles without losing its sense of wit and characteristic self - consciousness.

As a style it embraced visual arts, architecture and design in its many forms. Luxury and function became its trademark. Folkloric traditions that had inspired earlier artistic movements were superseded for technological progress.

Faith was in the new and the exotic, so an extensive use of chrome, steel and new plastics as much as silver, platinum, diamonds and jade created a new sensibility which explored themes of luxury and modernity.

As with many things pre-war : Deco's philosophy and application was challenged in the 1940's. It's strong character began to seem formulaic and it's values disingenuous.

The artistic style which had defined an age came back in fashion with a bang in the 1960's, and was re-established as an enduring global design movement. It was in this period of re discovery that the term 'Art Deco' was in fact coined.

6 October 2018

When Patrick Boyd Carpenter moved to Grays Antiques, it was 1986 and he was only 19 years old. Previously, he was running a successful business dealing in contemporary art in The Church Gallery on Bryanston Street, Marble Arch. Obsessed with art and antiques; he bought his first antique object, a case of taxidermy birds, when he was just six years old. We paid a visit to his shop at Grays to find out more ...

Clockwise from top left : Mid 19th.Century Victorian Watercolour Portrait of a Young Scholar: 19th Century Victorian Watercolour of a scene from Hamlet, attributed to
Philip Francis Stephanoff : 18th Century German Wax Relief Portait of
Karl Anselm : 1970's Acrylic on Panel 'Three Dancing Figures' by Jessica
Gwynne.

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Patrick, please tell us: why Grays ?
Well, Grays is the best place for antiques! In those days there were still several antique markets of course. But Grays was always the best, and there was a waiting list to get in. I was interviewed by Bennie Gray. He asked me if I had reserve stock before considering me for a space, because stock was selling so fast. And it was very busy. The antiques business has changed a lot over the years.

In what way would you say the business has changed ?
I moved from dealing in contemporary art to antiques early on following the closure of The Church Gallery in 1988. You have to follow the market; today I deal in a completely different type of item than I used to. I used to specialise in antique prints and English watercolours. They fell out of fashion, though I have noticed that the watercolours are beginning to rise. Items I sold years ago, I am happy to buy back. Luckily, I have many private collectors who are often willing to part with choice items. I also make a good living by buying ‘auctioneers mistakes’. Mis- catalogued items. Just between you and me, many auction houses are not the experts they pretend to be!That’s very exciting! What do you like to buy ?

I buy anything I like that’s handmade and good quality from the last five hundred years. And I travel everywhere, though nowadays the items tend to come to me. I just bought an amazing collection of Eduardo Paolozzi sculptures. He was an extraordinary figure within British art. He was a Scottish artist of Italian heritage, who lived in Paris, and was established in Chelsea. Influenced by Giacometti and the Surrealists, now much of his work is exhibited at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. It’s a remarkable addition to my stock I am very happy about.How would you describe your collection ?

I buy from the gut. I buy what I like and what I can afford. That way you don’t lose. In terms of stock, I’ve got a good selection, Master drawings, sculptures, oils, textile, and prints. I am one of the last of the general high quality antique dealers. I sell in my Grays shop and on social media. Everybody comes to W1 and people know that I am here. Whenever I have new stock come in – my customers are quick to pick up on it and it usually sells quickly. But you’ve got to put a bit of yourself into the business. Some of the time I am a therapist to customers. I know people come here to talk to me. And maybe they buy the item they are interested in too!

Tell us what do you personally most like?

My collection is British and European art, and I particularly like drawings. I feel it’s the brain on paper. I like the immediacy. The preparatory drawing is often more spontaneous than the finished work.

May I say that I really like this owl painting, would you tell me something more about it ?
It’s a 1920s oil painting of a Tawny Owl by Lodewijk Van Der Steen 1891-1954, circa 1928. A really unusual subject. I like to have something for everyone in the shop. No one should leave empty handed, and this is one great painting of an owl!

27 September 2018

This year has seen a number of arts institutions embroiled in heated debate over the exhibition ( or removal) of art featuring nude or naked bodies.

We take a look at some of the issues that have come to the fore, and muse on the surprisingly precarious position of 'the Nude' in contemporary discourse...

The 'Nude Police' turn gallery-goers away from a Rubens Painting, in a spoof video for Flanders Tourism Board

The first sign that 2018 might be a troubling year for the posed and partially clothed was the furore that greeted Manchester Art Gallery in January.

The Gallery decided to remove the popular Pre-Raphaelite painting 'Hylas and the Nymphs', (depicting several sensual, partially clothed female bodies) from it's walls.

The galleries action was not a permanent curatorial move, but rather a deliberate provocation and invitation to debate.

The temporary removal was part of a participatory exhibition in which visitors were invited to leave their thoughts on the painting (and its absence) on post-it notes in the blank space of the gallery wall.

The move prompted a furious backlash, with anger and derision moving from post-it notes to twitter to national news networks. Many believed the removal amounted to censorship, with the gallery accused of both Victorian prudishness and patronising political-correctness.

Whatever you may think of the decision - a debate was certainly begun , and the painting is now back on permanent display.

As many social media platforms, including Facebook, have placed bans or
restrictions on posts containing the artistic nude, users have reacted
with confusion and fury.

In July, a canny PR team at the Flanders Tourism Board decided to capitalise on the multiple debates and disagreements that had played out over social media during the year.

The tourism board created a humorous video of 'Nude Police' approaching and escorting away gallery-goers at Ruben's House in Antwerp to prevent them from gazing at the morally compromising figures of Ruben's famous nude figures.

The video and the subsequent tourism campaign , declaring 'Social Media Doesn't Want You To See Ruben's Paintings' was playful in tone, but raised some serious questions.

Debates over the nude in public exhibitions continue to rumble on in the UK press. This week The Royal Academy's planned exhibition on Renaissance Nudes was accused by The Telegraph of having 'a strict gender quota' on naked figures in response to the #metoo and #timesup movements.

Curators of the exhibition have denied any such influence, and have pointed to the widespread use of the male nude in art of the Renaissance.

The nude in art , particularly art on public display, has sparked debate throughout history. The social and political mores of the time have always been brought to bear on the discussion of these objects. It seems as if 2018 may be a critical and intriguing flash point in the reception of the artistic nude in our own time.

We've picked out some of the finest artistic examples of the nude in art objects currently both on display and on sale at here at Grays...